The Conquest of Happiness

A philosopher's plain, witty look at the everyday causes of unhappiness (boredom, envy, a sense of sin, fear of other people's opinion) and what tends to help (interest in things outside yourself, affection, work). He writes from his own unhappy youth.

Worth knowing: Nearly a century old and of its time in places. The core advice, turn attention outward, matches later research on rumination.

Find a copy · the research behind it: Is thinking about yourself helping, and how would you tell?